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US DOJ AG Merrick Garland says there is no rush on Jan. 6 investigation

The United States Department of Justice / Wikimedia Commons

The US Justice Department has been facing growing pressure from lawmakers, legal experts, and the public to take action regarding the events that transpired before, during, and after the Capitol insurrection last January 6, 2021. Attorney General Merrick Garland said last week that there is no rush regarding the department’s ongoing probe.

In a press conference Friday last week, Garland said that there is no rush in the ongoing investigation by the department into the insurrection, despite getting criticized for staying silent on whether there is a probe or indictment or not. When pressed on whether he felt pressured to move quickly on the case, Garland said that the only pressure is in doing the right thing.

“The only pressure I feel, and the only pressure that our line of prosecutors feel, is to do the right thing,” said Garland. “That means we follow the facts and the law, wherever they may lead.”

Hundreds of people who participated in the Capitol insurrection have already been prosecuted and charged, and the DOJ continues to track down other individuals who are suspected to be involved. The Washington Post reported that the DOJ is looking to broaden the scope of its probe, including the events that led up to the January 6 rally that preceded the insurrection.

The Justice Department said it would look into who was responsible for the rally and how people obtained funds to travel to Washington DC.

Garland’s remarks follow his previous comments to NPR, assuring that the department is not going to back away from politically-sensitive cases that would involve former President Donald Trump and members of his inner circle. The comments came amidst the findings of the congressional committee probing the riots that Trump committed multiple criminal acts in his desperate attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

Garland said at the time that the DOJ is not avoiding controversial, or highly political cases, but that the department is trying to steer clear of making decisions on a political or partisan basis. The DOJ chief also explained that the agency is already allocating a lot of its resources to investigating and prosecuting those involved on January 6.

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